THE CLUSTERS OF waving blue-and-green balloons attached to the walls ushered them into the gym turned into an exhibit hall.
“There it is, Dad.” Nicole pointed to the sign on a beige background with forest-green lettering: Hidden Lake Bird Sanctuary & Nature Center. The banner matched all the others in the room. “Awesome, huh, Dad?”
Parker agreed. “Even better than I expected.” The university’s large gym had displays along each wall and two rows in the center. An impressive setup.
“My chemistry teacher said they started planning this fair over a year ago,” Nic said. “The whole room gives me hope that I’ll find exactly the right field where I can do some good.”
“That’s the spirit, Nic.” Parker cut his eyes to Emma, who was looking at Nic with a touch of awe in her face. Hope. Wasn’t that what his work had been about? He hoped to save birds, but he also hoped growing numbers of people would understand the natural world a little better. He’d be sure to add that idea to his presentation. He pulled the flat cart closer to the table to start unloading and setting up the booth.
“There must be dozens and dozens of careers that fall under the umbrella of science. And so many are represented here,” Emma said. “Zoology over on this side of the room, and indoor agriculture has a display. And I’m seeing neuroscience and cancer research. Even the state parks have a couple of tables. So much to check out in one day.”
“See? With all these choices, how am I supposed to pick one career? Right now, everything has its strong points.” Nic lifted her shoulders in a happy shrug, obviously excited by her question and not even a little troubled. “I always thought I’d get involved with some area of wildlife preservation, kinda like you, Dad, but since I’ve been in school, other things keep calling my name.”
“You’ve got time to decide, sweetie. That’s what’s so great about being in college. You can sample all the sciences before you settle on one.”
“I agree,” Emma said as she got to work setting up the computer for the slideshow they’d used on Thanksgiving. Everyone who saw it thought it was great. Emma had posters made from a few photos to give away with a family membership. Being optimistic, she’d brought a few along.
As Parker glanced around him, every booth had people like him, Emma and Nic working to get ready for the doors to open in half an hour. Wrong again, he said to himself. When Nic first mentioned the fair, he underestimated everything about it. Now he was grateful the group that managed the fair approved their application, late as it was. He—and the board—had Nic to thank for arguing for their late application.
“I’m glad you decided to bring the birds’ nests, Dad.” Nic held up a small, delicate robin’s nest, and then a huge bald eagle’s nest. She pulled out four more nests and set them aside. “I’ve got about ten minutes to help you set up, but then I’ve got to get to class.”
It took only a few minutes to set up the heavy folding shelves and glass dioramas showing habitats and realistic wooden carvings of birds. The bird skeletons were arranged inside glass boxes to protect them.
“You should go now, Nic. We’re fine here.” He had the impulse to give her a quick hug, but held back. No sense embarrassing her. But as she was leaving, she ran into some kids she knew and pointed back to him. “That’s my dad.” Then she disappeared out the door.
“She’s proud of you,” Emma remarked. “You’re proud of her. Everything’s harmonious right now.”
“Maybe so,” he said, lifting a box of brochures off the cart. “She turned the tables on me. I’m supposed to be embarrassing her.”
“Welcome, everyone,” a voice boomed through the sound system. “The doors are officially open.”
Students soon started trickling in as expected, but over the next couple of hours as he and Emma talked to more people passing by, they soon realized the fair was attracting a lot of folks who had no connection to the university. An older couple from Bluestone River approached the table. They seemed surprised to see the center involved in the event.
“Glad to see all that land and the buildings getting some use,” the man said. They became sanctuary members on the spot and spent quite a bit of time watching the slideshows with Emma. They remembered the days when Mike’s grandfather ran the resort. When they left, they took a poster with them.
Leaving Emma to manage the table, Parker wandered around and introduced himself to other exhibitors. In a way he felt for Nic trying to make decisions about a career. Even if she narrowed her choices to a field in zoology or agriculture, that still covered a lot of ground. He picked up brochures at most booths, but his real mission was networking, making connections, seeing where cross-promotion might be possible. As he spoke to new people, he realized he talked about the sanctuary in ambitious, bold terms. How much had changed since he convinced himself to make the best of this job that he’d once considered a notch or two beneath him.
He stood across the room and felt a rush of pleasure watching Emma interacting with students who were looking at the slideshow. Her expression changed from serious to amused, and he saw her encouraging smile as she gave the students her complete attention.
Knowing he had more people to meet, he made himself move on.
* * *
EMMA DUCKED UNDER the table to grab brochures to replenish the stack she’d put between the two video screens. When she straightened up, she was looking into the face of Stacey Schwartz.
“Hey, good to see you,” she said. “I knew you planned to stop by, but I wasn’t sure when.”
Stacey looked behind her and Emma followed her gaze to Ty and Parker standing together on the other side of the room.
“To tell you the truth, Emma, I didn’t expect to see you.”
What was with the flat tone? “I brought the slideshow I put together for Thanksgiving. We just met a couple from town who’d wandered in. They joined. The first new members today.”
Stacey’s pained expression hadn’t changed since she’d said hello. “Are you okay, Stacey? Something wrong?”
“Sort of.” Stacey thrummed her fingers on the pile of brochures. “Like I said, I wasn’t aware you were helping out today.”
“Well, now you know. I rode over with Parker and Nicole.”
“But why, Emma? Did Parker really need your help? He knew we were coming.”
Something didn’t smell right. Stacey’s pinched face and strained tone weren’t like her at all. “Uh, what’s this really about?” Emma folded her arms. She wanted to sit, but she needed to stand eye-to-eye. This Stacey standing in front of her was someone she didn’t know.
“I hope I’m not speaking out of turn, but this is sort of sensitive.” She looked to one side and then the other.
“Go on, please.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little risky to get so close to Parker?”
Only to my heart, maybe. She cleared her throat. “Where is this coming from? He’s divorced. You know perfectly well I’m free to see whoever I want to.”
“C’mon, Emma,” she groaned. “You know that’s not what this is about.”
“I do? What do you know that I don’t?”
“You pay his salary.”
Her head jerked back. “Are you kidding me? Are you afraid if Parker and I don’t work out, I’ll pull the money?” She stared at Stacey. “Well? Is that what you’re afraid of?”
“It’s been said that it could happen.”
“Whoa. Who said?” Emma demanded.
“People talk, Emma.” Stacey picked up a feather from the display bowl, but dropped it.
“About me? And Parker?” Emma braced her hands on the table. “Did I make funding the director’s position contingent on anything?”
“No. But that’s not the point.” Now Stacey was focused on her shoes.
“Oh, so you have a better point?” Emma was desperate to stop herself from blowing up and saying something she’d regret. Besides, she expected a real answer.
Finally breaking the silence, Stacey rushed her words. “It’s just that people see you together sometimes.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Better call the sheriff. Have me arrested.”
Stacey sighed. “Please take this seriously. Someone mentioned seeing you having lunch over in Clayton.”
“Another crime.” She could almost taste the bile rising. “You know, this is the reason some people get sick and tired of small towns. Who has time to keep tabs on my lunch dates?”
“Emma, I don’t like bringing this up, but I have to. I mean, I’ve been asked to.”
Emma filled her lungs and slowly exhaled. “Do you seriously think I’m compromised in some way?”
“Do I think that? Not really,” Stacey admitted.
“Do you object to anything Parker is doing at the sanctuary? Have you seen the work he’s put in?” She pointed to the nests on the shelves, the dioramas showing birds and their habitats. The skeleton specimens. A glass jar of feathers sat on the table. “Everything came from him and what he’s put together using old supplies. He’s recycled everything. He’s even using the ancient dishes he and Nicole have in their cabins. Good thing Nicole is big on vintage.” Emma closed her mouth abruptly. She’d said enough. Nothing Parker had done needed defending.
Stacey had the look of a woman who was about to cry and was struggling not to.
Emma touched her arm. “Who asked you to talk to me?”
She raised an eyebrow. “To be clear, it’s a person who isn’t on the board. He brought up the issue of board members having relationships with employees, and how it’s frowned on. The person writing the checks and the employee and all that.”
“Ha! He needn’t worry. I’m not on the board anymore. Remember? And the sanctuary has one employee.” As an aside, she added, “But you may need to rethink that in the spring. Parker seems to be bringing more people around, even in the cold weather. And to be clear, my trust officer transfers the funds. You know perfectly well I don’t write the checks. I stay out of that end of it. For this very reason. I don’t want blurry lines. I make choices and the trust sends me reports.”
Stacey rubbed her cheeks, her frustration clear. “Okay, okay. You’ve said your piece. I’m backing down. I didn’t feel one hundred percent right about any of this. Not even ten percent. But I was pressured.”
Emma didn’t know who had talked to Stacey and didn’t care. She busied her hands fanning out brochures on the table. “Let’s be clear. I’m becoming more involved in the sanctuary, not less. I’m excited about what I’ve learned from Parker about birds and the work involved in saving them.”
Stacey smiled. “I’m embarrassed. The thing is, I’m happy for you. If there’s a choice, I’d find the money from someplace else rather than disrupt…whatever is going on with you and Parker. Oh, you know what I mean, Emma.”
“Yeah, I sure do.” Emma shrugged. “There’s no need for that. Nothing is disrupted, and I don’t intend to take a position on the board. Believe me.” She looked over Stacey’s shoulder and saw Parker and Ty coming to the table. “Here they are.”
Stacey spun around and said hello. Parker said a terse hello to Stacey. Emma couldn’t miss the phony smile Ty cast her way.
“I suppose we should be heading to lunch,” Ty said, with what sounded like false enthusiasm. “We’ll see you at the talk this afternoon.”
Parker stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the two leave. They were in an animated conversation and neither looked happy. From Parker’s stance, Emma was certain Ty had sought him out for a talk. This situation was much worse for him, Emma conceded, since he did answer to the board.
“They’re gone, Parker.”
He leaned over and plunked his hands on the table and rested his weight on them. “From the look on your face, I gather Stacey questioned our personal relationship.”
“Yes, but she backed down. She almost apologized for bringing it up.”
“Lucky you. Ty wasn’t that conciliatory,” Parker said. “It took a second to understand he was serious. I thought he was sort of congratulating me on…” he pointed to Emma and then to himself “…us.”
“Us. That’s why Stacey backed off. She knows me. She thinks what’s going on with us is kinda fun. On the other hand, I can’t figure out who bothered to tell Ty and Stacey we had lunch together in Clayton. What is that?” Emma struggled to make sense of it. “At one time, I’d have accused Jim of being the troublemaker. Not anymore.”
Parker tapped his fist in his palm. “My hunch is it’s Ty himself. He was vague about some guy who had seen us around.”
“Committing crimes, like being spotted together in a restaurant.”
“Exactly,” Parker exclaimed. “Ty made up that another person was involved and he lied to Stacey about it.”
“So, you’re saying no one complained,” Emma clarified. “They’re covering themselves.” She pushed the point. “They really are afraid if things don’t work out between us, I’ll take my checkbook and go home.” Emma tried to shake the image of carrying her checkbook tucked under her arm like a ball. “And they’ll be in trouble.”
Parker growled in disgust. “It always comes down to that. Money.”
“No, it doesn’t.” Emma would not give in to that worry. “I don’t even think about it. I wish you wouldn’t, either.”
“You told me right from the start that you’re hands-off when it comes to the decisions and operation of the center. Why don’t they see that?”
“Seriously? If we’re the talk of the town, let’s enjoy it. We have fun. I like you and you like me. I don’t care who knows it.” She gave him a flirtatious smile. “Besides, you’re a great kisser. I’m not about to give that up.”
He smiled. “You’re a pretty great kisser yourself, Emma O’Connell.”
She gestured for him to come around the table. “Let’s charm a few people into joining the sanctuary.”
“I better leave the charm to you. I’ll watch and learn.”
“If you insist,” she said, laughing. “We’ve still got a long day ahead. Might as well enjoy it.”
She spotted Nic waving at them to get their attention. “Speaking of charm, look who’s here.”
Parker turned around just as Nic approached with six or seven classmates, asking him about bird rescue and rehabilitation. Stacey and Ty no longer mattered.